Finally, an influencer who behaves totally normal from my perspective, wearing reasonable clothes and having a satisfying video choreography. Thank you.
List of all books mentioned: *UNCATERGORISED* - The Glutton by A.K. Blakemore - Wetlands by Charlotte Roche *WEIRD WRITERS* _Miranda July:_ - The First Bad Man - No One Belongs Here More Than You _Tao Lin:_ - Richard Yates - Taipei *CLASSICS* - Master and the Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov - The Nose by Nikolai Gogol *RANDOM* - Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E. Kirby - Pink by Gus Van Sant
The Master & Margarita is indeed a strange book, but not in the way that sci-fi/fantasy or horror books can be bizarre. It felt like being in a new environment where you don't have the vocabulary to describe what you're seeing, and yet, you can still figure out where you should and shouldn't walk.
Dunno if they fit on here or not but: - The Vegetarian (Hang Kang) - The City & The City (China Mieville) - The Vorrh (B.Catling) - Communion Town: a city in ten chapters (Sam Thompson)
Miéville is fantastic. I'd also add: - The Raw Shark Texts (Steven Hall) - The John Nyquist Series (Jeff Noon) - Finna (Nino Cipri) - Amatka (Karin Tidbeck)
they're not. but while we're here, add: Fishboy by Mark Richard (1993) Grendel by John Gardner (1971) Miéville i would go with "Perdido Street Station" first
idk why the algorithm thru this on my yt feed which normally 98% consists of retro gaming handheld reviews but your energy is amazing and hilarious and now i like want to like read a book and stuff
If we're gonna talk about Master and Margarita, I have to mention One Hundred Years of Solitude! It makes Bulgakovs magical realism look like a typical Tuesday all the way through. The overall effect is absolutely mind blowing and I highly recommend (read the content warnings tho; there're a lot).
I was reading a book called "Human Sacrifice in History and Today" at the hospital emergency room. I blacked out while I was getting some IV treatment, when I came to I immediately asked, "Where's my book?". The nurse was looking at me like I was the devil and pointed to my evil object that she had placed on a nearby counter. The encounter made a crappy situation somewhat more bearable.
My weird book recommendation: If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino! Calvino plays around with point of view and each chapter feels like a different book. I found it fascinating :)
I am currently reading his short story collection called ' Numbers in the Dark' and it's definitely interesting and quite unique. I had heard his books were weird so I thought I'd check out if his style would appeal to me and so far I am loving it.
Interesting. I haven't read Calvino in years but I loved _Invicible Cities_ and _Cosmicomics_ so I will put "If on a winter's night a traveler" on my TBR
Cosmicomics remains one of my favourite little bookgems. Not because I enjoyed it that much, but because it makes me happy people can wrench their grey matter in that way. Highly recommended!
Gogol's influence on Kafka is quite apparent after reading both. "The Castle" is also a favorite "weird" book--apologies if you mentioned it, I usually reference any covers by frame or a list if it's present.
In a comparative lit class in college after reading literature by both, prof asked “so how would you compare and contrast Kafka and Gogol”. An English lit student replied “Gogol would be great fun at a party, and Kafka would not”. Gogol is wonderfully fun eg The nose.
no way i didnt know charlotte roche's book has been translated!!!! people in germany were scandalized when it came out lmao it truly was an experience to read it as a teen back in the day
Yeah I read it when it first came out too because I loved Charlotte Roche as a TV presenter back then but I did regret reading it and it still haunts me to this day lol I live in England now and have seen English translations of it a few times in charity shops but never dared reading it again :'D
"The Ants" by Boris Vian is probably one of the weirdest books I've ever read. Its a collection of short stories conected only by a side-character that appears in almost all of them, and in one the guy breaks the 4th wall because he comes and kills the protagonist "because he was angry that he wasn't featured in that story". All the tales have weird vibe, like they're happening in an slightly more messed-up version of Dr Seuss's Whoville... its weird and I totally recomend it. Its probably the second weirdest book I've ever read, suppased only by the illuminatus trilogy of Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, but I'm more reluctant to recomend those, they may be too 70s for some people
After a lifetime of reading (almost 60 years), I'd have to say that perhaps the most disturbing is "The Story of the Eye" by Georges Bataille. A novella, it can be read quickly in one sitting. I doubt that anyone could ever forget it.
I subscribed, hit the bell, and smashed the like button within the first 45 seconds. Sometimes, you just know, ya know? Not even sure what I've been doing with my life this whole time without this kind of content.
First, you can totally rock that shirt and in NY walking around people are going to love it. (You’ll probably get a bunch of compliments on it😉). Second, I hope you know how wildly entertaining you are. When one of your videos is posted I gleefully open it before anything else. In this world of scary politics and world events, it’s so good to just escape into books for a bit with someone who is funny and intelligent. Thank you.📚
Wetlands! Oh dear god, I read that book a long time ago. I was gagging throughout most of the book while reading it, an experience I've never had before or since. I did, however, feel a lot of sympathy for the main character as her motivations and pain became clear by the end
I'm a fan of weird so here's my two cents: Anything by China Mielville. City Come A Walkin' by John Shirley Anything by Tom Robbins The Flounder by Gunter Grass Under The Glacier by Haldór Laxness Anything by Ian Banks but especially Whit, The Crow Road, and The Wasp Factory Lanark: A Life In Four Books by Alistair Grey In The Country Of Last Things by Paul Auster
'The Book of Disquiet' by Fernando Pessoa, a book everyone must have. Everything about it, and about the life of the writer is weird but also so relatable.
Love it! Fun fact about the Wetlands author. She was a well know music tv-presenter in germany. Bit odd even there but no one was prepared fir the book!
If you ever wished Kafka had written a fever dream folk tale byway of Over The Garden Wall/The Witch, then In The House In The Dark Of The Woods by Laird Hunt is for you! Equal parts bizarre and unsettling, a delightfully wicked little book ❤
This is the first video I’ve ever seen of yours, and seeing that ribbon dance with the tassel shirt in the beginning made it an instant subscribe. Easiest decision of my life.
The Restraint of Beasts by Magnus Mills and the Smiling School for Calvinists by Bill Duncan are pretty good too if you are a fan of Scottish strangeness.
Hi Ana, The fringed shirt is perfect for a "Lunatic Fringe" of books ! I love the whip sound effects with each fling of your arms. I would never have the courage to wear such a fashion statement. Thanks to this video I feel encouraged to seek out some of these books. I love "Weird" in so many ways, it makes our world so interesting ! I love John Waters,he is" Fun Weird", I've read all his books,and watched most of his movies,and T.V. appearances. I've read so many weird books, and stories, but the titles escape me after so many years. I just got done reading the complete works of Kafka,which I believe many of his stories fit into this category. My favorite story was "The Penal Colony"....riveting with angst, and incredible visions. Thank you for your very entertaining videos. I really enjoy how you coordinate your fashions with the Themes of your videos. Till the next one..Happiness, Cindy 📚🫖
Charlotte Roche was actually born in England to English parents but grew up in Germany, where she also lives. She used to be a television presenter for German music television station VIVA Zwei and later VIVA.
Ok first timer here. Got stopped by the word WEIRD books as I am kinda weird as well. But THEN the whip top? Your personality? That's it! I am now a sub...scriber. Fab so fab! Looking forward to digging into your archives😊
I've got a weird book for you. Rat, by Andrzej Zaniewski. It was originally written in Polish but translated into English; this is surprisingly unimportant, since there's no dialogue at all and the descriptive writing is quite effective. Rat is the story of a rat. It's just a biography of an actual rat living in a medium-sized city in eastern Europe. The rat doesn't talk or wear waistcoats or anything; it's just a rat. The rat is born at the beginning of the book and lives its entire life. I assume at the end it dies, but: This is the only book I have ever read that I could not finish. There are books I haven't finished because I just was bored or procrastinated them or something; in theory I'm still reading Gödel Escher Bach, and maybe I actually will finish it when I retire. No, I was reading this book and I found it so disturbing, so revolting, I just stopped in the middle. It bothered me that much. It is crazy and bizarre and disturbing and freaked me out, and I am not easily outfreakable. I don't generally recommend this book to people, but if you're looking for something that's really ... different? I guess? You're going to have a hard time finding something this interesting.
House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski Marabou Stork Nightmares - Irvine Welsh Naked Lunch - William S. Burroughs Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson Anything by author Irvine Welsh is 100% "weird" & 100% good reads. Especially: "Porno", "Filth" & "Trainspotting"
Hi Ana! As you're on the subject of weird literature, I was wondering if you've ever heard of or read the German author Arno Schmidt, who is often compared stylistically and aesthetically to James Joyce? I love your outfit and the new look🤩
Found this channel just now and loving the atmosphere of it. I recommend 'The Child Garden' by Geoff Ryman. Never read anything like that before or since. Haven't read it about 30 years & must find a copy to re-read.
Excuse me how DARE YOU become my new fav book RU-vidr on a random Tuesday Summer evening here in Germany?! 20 seconds in I subscribed. Love the shirt. Love you more. 🤠
I read a book called 'bone gap' by Laura Ruby a while ago on recommendation from a friend, and it was genuinely one of the most memorable books I've read. It's not super incredibly weird, but it's surreal enough that I think it counts.
OMG the intro - will live rent free in my mind for days lol lol lol .The shirt IS great ! I love me some weird books. Thanks for the recommendations. Melissa Broder is the first author I recommend when someone is looking for weird.
Yeah, it only took me _15 minutes_ to figure out what you were _actually_ emulating with that shirt. 😁 Might I recommend Danielewski's House of Leaves? It's beyond... weird (to the point of strange, perhaps- lol). Awesome video. Thanks for the recommendations!
Ooo Ooo, please let those of us who, in our ignorance can only imagine a whip cracking, tubular bell tingler to be the inspiration for the shirt let us know what you imagine the actual inspiration derives from. Genuinely interested, in a relevantly weird way.
My guess is _Lord of the Dance._ 😂 If you watch how she holds her chin and does her _flairs_ (when the whip sounds are), you can almost imagine her busting into a jig! 😂
@@jameslong9921 Lol My other thought was Jim Carrey as the Mask, when he got all the po-po dancin'! 🤣 (I believe he was emulating a mariachi dancer? Idk.)
Sometimes a weird book is just what you need ☺️ These are some of my recs - Brat by Gabriel Smith, How It Works Out by Myriam Lacroix and Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin.
I just stumbled across this RU-vid channel and really love Ana’s style. She’s funny, classy, and informative. To quote the Terminator, « I’ll be back. »
Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov is better than The Master and Margarita in my opinion, because it's more accessible and pretty funny. BUT The Master and Margarita is more complex in its themes and presentation, so I can see how someone would rank it above Heart of a Dog
Another small book which might feel at home in your list is "The Lonely Heart's Club" by Raul Nunez, it may also feel comfortable with your sponsor in that it's impact lasts.
One day, about half my life ago, I was wandering around the Multnomah County Library, as I often did, and happened upon a book titled “Daughter! I Forbid Your Recurring Dream!” , by one James Chapman. I got through as much as I could of it, but it is written in a style which I found bizarre and challenging to follow. I had to look it up just now, to be sure of the title and author, and it was published in 2000, which means it was just a toddler of a book when I found it lost and confused, surrounded by more linear stories. Oddly enough, it seemed happy with its circumstances, so it was definitely weird, and also why I left it there after playing with it for some time. That same library, around the same time, is also where I found a book published exactly a century prior to the one just described. It was a translation of a French novel, with an English title of “The Juggler”. It was written by a woman named Marguerite Eymery Vallette, who used the nom de plume of Rachilde. At one time banned, the story is about the dynamic between a woman in her mid thirties, a widow to a wealthy man who’d traveled the world, and a medical student in his early twenties. She toys with his emotions in the most exquisitely strange ways and he can’t decide how to feel about it. The ending is quite shocking, and the prose is sublime - full of decadent and dreamy descriptions. Oh and she’s in love with an amphora, so this book was my introduction to the idea of objectum sexuality, yet Rachilde’s witchcraft takes something most people consider utterly freakish and sells it like an issue of Playboy… at least in my opinion, but then again, I am proudly into weird things. I’m sure I’ve got a few others lying around here or there, but these two just came as a pair. Just found the channel and I adore it. Wouldn’t be caught dead in that shirt but only because it wouldn’t flatter me; otherwise it’s fantastic fashion and a clever prop to boot. You’ve inspired this lazy writer to do more reading, which is and isn’t procrastinating, but I love a paradox. I’ll be sure to watch more of these vids after I edit some of my own on my eyelids. 💖
Thanks for the recommendations, I appreciate them. As a weird man myself, I'm always on the lookout for books, art and media made by my peers in weirdness. I'm glad to have found your channel, so I subscribed instantly. The shirt is fabulous and you really sold it. I liked how your eyeshadow seemed to match it. I liked the whole outfit and your clear commitment to the bit (accidental rhyming here, I usually only rhyme when I mean to). 🤭 The editing was really on point also. Thanks again. Kind regards from Iceland 😊
I may or may not watch this video but i had to click to comment that the title- nay, the thumbnail?!?!! Impossible to pass up. Impeccable. You got my ass. Have a good day
"weird" is so subjective and broad, but you did a good job of putting together a solid starter pack! for the Miranda July side of weird i would also suggest Jennifer Egan and George Saunders, and would love to learn of other similar authors!
This account is 2 months old, and this comment can be found verbatim on at least 2 other booktuber vids. The book is some suss download on a specific site and exists nowhere else outside of that. Don't look for it.
Loved watching you and hearing what you had to say. I laughed a lot. You were marvelously funny. Thank you for the laughs. I needed them. Love your shirt with the fringe.
Ahh so happy to see The Glutton mentioned!! I haven’t read it but we have it in the library I work at and I keep putting it out on display because the cover is so gorgeous and it looks weird af, thank you for your opinion I’ll bump it up on my list!
Never seen your channel before and clicked so fast because ive been looking for weird offbeat books since getting so bored lately with the books I have. Also, came for the books, stayed for the arm whips 😂 had me crying. I like your hunour 😅
I cannot believe I found your content!!! This was my first video of yours and I cannot believe you are not an academy award winner! Maybe you are…I don’t know. You are so fun, funny,smart and adorable. I’m so excited to see what you do next! Thanks!
Love the shirt, love the video but I think what I love the most about all of your videos (besides the books) are the fabulous sound effects. Makes everything so much more fun.
You R Legend !! First time on your channel !! I was thinking although TOO WEIRD I feel a worthwhile mention for weird books ( more of a farce it's true but... maybe entry level weird + it's a underdog classic ) CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES :)
